414 NATUEAL HISTORY OF AQUATIC ANIMALS. 



The Spotted Oabkilla — Sbrrantjs maculofasciatus Steindachner. 



Tliis species receives the same names, "Eock I3ass" and " Cabrilla," as tlae others. It agrees 

 with the preceding in valne, distribution, and habits, so far as known. Its a rather smaller size. 

 It is an excellent food-fish, and from its great abundance about San Diego it may become of 

 considerable economic importance. Its range extends southward to Mazatlan, it being one of the 

 very few California fishes which extend their range to the south of the Tropic of Cancer. 



139. THE YELLOW PEECH— PERCA AMERICANA. 



"Wherever found," writes Jordan, "this species is the Perch par excellence," the name Perch 

 being elsewhere wrongly applied to various Serranoid, Scisenoid, Centrarchoid, and Erabiotocoid 

 fishes. The descriptive names " Yellow Perch " and "Einged Perch" are in common use. The 

 Perch is found throughout the Great Lake region, the rivers of New England and of the States 

 east of the Alleghany Mountains as far soulh as Georgia. It occurs in some tributaries of the Ohio 

 in the northern parts of Ohio and Indiana, and of the Mississippi in Wisconsin and Minnesota, but 

 throughout the lower basin of the Mississippi and the west slope of the Alleghanies it is entirely 

 absent. The Perch is one of the common market fish of the North and East. Its usual length is 

 about a foot, and its weight generally less than two pounds. It is a fish of fair but not excellent 

 quality. It is a carnivorous fish, feeding on minnows, etc., and usually freely taking the hook. It 

 spawns in spring. Dr. Steindachner, of Vienna, has recently attempted to demonstrate the 

 identity of the American Perch with the similar species in Europe, but this I cannot admit, for 

 they are no more alike than various of our species of Lepomis, Ammriis, etc. It is true enough 

 that the distinctive characters noticed by Steindachner are unreliable, but, so far as I have seen, 

 they differ strongly in gill- rakers, pseudobranchise, position of first dorsal, etc. Of course, no sane 

 man doubts their community of origin, but different " species" they are now, or at least sub-species." 



The following observations with regard to the abundance of the Yellow Perch, in the Great 

 Lakes Lave been made by Mr. Ludwig Kumlien and others: 



On the eastern shore of Minnesota, and especially about Duluth and vicinity, these fish are 

 common. Ou the southern shore of Lake Superior, as far east as Keeweenaw Point, and about 

 the islands included— such as the Apostle Islands, Sand, York, and Eock Islands — they are also 

 common. In this region they have been on the increase for the last ten j-ears, being quite rare as 

 lately as 1870. They are, however, never shipped to the large markets, being used for home con- 

 sumption. In the small bays running southeast from Keweenaw Point Yellow Perch are very 

 abundant; in this locality they are not found plentifully at a great distance from shore. In 

 Marquette Harbor a few are taken in the herring seines, but none are caught in the pound-nets. 

 The yellow-perch fishery is of no importance between this point and Sauk's Head. 



At the north end of Green Bay Yellow Perch are not abundant. They are found chiefly in 

 the mouths of the small bays included in Green Bay, and are said to be rare about the islands; 

 they are not taken in the pound-nets at least. Toward Cedar Eiver this fish is not plentiful, 

 being taken almost entirely in the shoal-nets. A little farther south, about the mouth of Menom- 

 onee Ei^er, there is a greater abundance of them; here also they are taken in some quantities in 

 the inshore nets. They are shipped from here with the •' dory,"' but complaint is made by the dealers 

 if there is too large a proportion of Perch. When shipped separate they command a low price. 

 Writing ou September 24, 1880, Mr. Kumlien remarks: "I have seen a good many that were taken 

 near Menomonee Eiver within the last few days and was surprised at their small and uniform size; 

 few of them would exceed eight inches. The fishermen inform me that there has been a run of 

 these small Perch since last winter in excess of anything ever known in previous years." 



